~Chapter 9- Semifinals~

"I don't care what anyone says, Tyro will win. No one is as powerful and skilled as him."

"Emer is incredible too though. As a Densius, it'll never get tired too."

"I'm just surprised that two young boys made it this far. Imagine if one of them makes it to the finals?"

Razan and Lucar had a hard time believing that both their sons made it all the way to the semifinals, using a good mix of skill and strength. They couldn't help but feel proud of them. This was proof that the children could handle themselves. Razan and Lucar knew what they'd do after the tournament was over.

The sun had fallen in the sky, drawing closer to the horizon. Much of the ring was now in the shadow cast from the bleachers. In preparation for the final matches, the tournament staff brought out numerous torches and set them outside of the fighting arena. A Mecarne staff member stepped out. They placed their fingertips on the torches, and flames stirred from them. The Mecarne lit each of the torches in the same manner, illuminating the area. Once these preparations were made, Cho addressed the crowd.

"Let the semifinals commence! With only four extraordinary fighters left, the end is near! But rest assured that the remaining bouts shall be the best of them all!" Cho announced, hyping up the crowd. "The next match is Jirro Vs. Emer!"

The two stepped out of the Finalist's lobby towards the stage, and the crowd applauded. Jirro had known Emer for a few years now and always saw them as a figure to be respected. He never expected to be fighting the green-eyed Densius today.

Nonetheless, Jirro had been going over a battle plan. As a Densius, Emer didn't have to worry about stamina or getting tired, so a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous. But most Densius were fairly slow - Jirro could capitalize on that. Densius were sturdy beings as well. If Jirro was going to hurt Emer, he would have to hit HARD. Jirro would need to strike decisively to try and finish the match as soon as possible.

The match began, and Jirro uncharacteristically started out aggressive. He swung from odd angles to try and break through Emer's guard. But the Densius warrior was patient and blocked everything the boy threw at him.

Emer used his stone arm to parry another of his attacks before countering with a punch to the boy's chin. Jirro winced from the pain. His jaw throbbed.

"Point to Emer! 1-0! Return to your starting positions!"

"Odd. That boy usually wouldn't try to strike first like that."

Emer had a worried look on its face. It must've felt bad about striking Jirro. But the Densius warrior certainly wasn't going to hold back because he was a child. No one would want that.

The drum signaled them to continue, and Jirro wasted no time. He came in hard, beating against Emer's rocky frame before quickly retreating to avoid being countered. He figured a hit-and-run tactic would work well.

Jirro tried to retreat after a blocked hook, but Emer gave chase after him. He was astonished by the staggering speed of the Densius. Emer landed a strike with one of his rocky limbs, knocking the blonde-haired boy to the floor. Jirro felt his body tremble.

"Point to Emer! 2-0! Return to your starting positions!"

"He's fast and strong!"

At this rate, Jirro would lose. He decided the best chance he had at winning was a knockout. There was drumming, and Jirro launched the most powerful Focus Burst he could muster, punching the air fiercely. A bright blue light emerged from his fist, illuminating the stage and spectators alike.

Emer had no time to react; the light rocketed into it. The Densius skidded across the stage, creating scuff marks in its wake. It dug its stone fingers into the ground to slow itself down, stopping just before falling out of the ring.

Jirro was breathless and nearly fell over after using Focus like that. Since it wasn't a physical strike, it earned him no point. Emer was still lying on the ground.

Cho spoke into his horn, "Contestant Emer, are you able to continue?"

Emer started to lift itself from the ground. "Yes­­­! Give me a second," It slowly tried to stand.

If Emer got up, Jirro would lose. But when he tried to move, he almost fell over. Such a powerful Focus Burst put too much strain on him. His father warned him to be careful about that.

Emer finally stood on wobbly sto­ne legs. The Densius steadied itself and charged across the stage. Jirro couldn't even raise his hands to defend himself from the quick strike.

"Point to Emer! 3-0! Emer takes the match!"

Emer carried the exhausted Jirro back to the Finalist's Lobby, thanking him for such a good fight. Despite the fact that he lost, Jirro was satisfied with how far he came. I'll win the next tournament.

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"The next match shall be between the competitors Aero and Tyro!" Cho announced, and the two didn't hesitate to come out on stage. Aero was visibly giddy to fight this opponent. He wasn't as powerful as his dad of course, but Tyro was still incredibly strong.

Tyro took a sturdy stance on stage, and Aero tried to imitate it. The two waited for the sound of drums, and their battle commenced.

Aero jumped high into the air, landing directly behind Tyro, and threw a quick punch to his back. It made impact, but he didn't budge at all. Tyro threw a spinning back fist into Aero, causing him to grunt in pain. The single strike sent tremors through his entire body.

"Point to Tyro! 1-0! Return to your starting positions!"

"The boy can't even hurt him."

Aero collected himself as he took his place on the stage. He would have to make every single strike as hard as possible if he was going to score at all.

With another drumbeat, the battle resumed. They met at the center of the ring. Tyro feigned a strike with his right hand, tricking Aero into defending against it, only to follow up with a stiff left hook. Aero fell to the ground hard.

"Point to Tyro! 2-0! Return to your starting positions!"

"Is the kid okay?"

Aero struggled to stand and lumbered over to his starting position. He was in pain and really didn't want to get hit again. Aero recognized that he probably wouldn't win. Not against someone this tough. But he'd show him what he was capable of before he lost.

The drum signaled them to resume, and Aero went on a relentless onslaught; one could barely see his fists moving as they beat against his opponent's guard. Tyro was forced to purely defend. Aero roared and pressed his attack, forcing Tyro onto his heels.

Tyro barely managed to block a round kick from Aero and found himself at the very edge of the ring.

Aero punched the air, and a red light burst from him. Tyro was launched into the air from the stage.

Cho began to speak, "Ring out! Point to-"

Tyro threw a punch at the ground. The burst of light that came from him propelled him dozens of meters into the air. He punched the air again at a specific angle, and a second Focus Burst boosted him back onto the ring. He wouldn't even allow himself to be rung out.

Aero blinked and suddenly Tyro was in front of him. There was a quick jab to his chest and he fell over.

"Point to Tyro! 3-0! Tyro takes the match!"

"Tyro is incredible!"

"Using Focus to propel himself back to the stage was genius!"

They returned to the Finalist's Lobby. Aero observed the welts on his body that Tyro had given him; they stung, but they were a point of pride for him.

Aero took a seat beside Jirro. Both were excited to see the final round. Tyro and Emer were amazing.

Tyro smiled at the two boys, his serious expression falling away. "You two should know, if you ever find yourself in the area, we're always looking for new recruits at the Fighting Academy."

Aero and Jirro nodded, "We'll keep it in mind."